


The Promise

by bluebellsandcocklesshells



Series: 642 Prompts [10]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon, Gen, Kid!Fic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 11:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6751558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebellsandcocklesshells/pseuds/bluebellsandcocklesshells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt 10 of 642: Write about a time you broke a promise.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 10 of 642: Write about a time you broke a promise.

“Pwomise,” the three year old demanded.

He had a fierce look on his face for such a young child.  His blond hair was ruffled messily on one side, his freckles stood out starkly on his pale face.  His eyes were a brilliant, determined green that were eerily reminiscent of his adult self.

Castiel looked down at his hand.  Dean held onto it with both of his chubby hands.

“Pwomise me you’ll all-ways stay,” Dean demanded again.

Castiel knelt to put himself closer to the child’s level.  What he wouldn’t give to hear these words come from the lips of the Dean he knew.  He pushed those thoughts aside and decided to finish with the mission he had originally come back in time to do.  He’d already stayed in the past for weeks, following the rambunctious child around and watching over him to keep him out of danger.  Obviously he wasn’t in any real danger as he had made it to adulthood, but Castiel couldn’t help himself from saving him from everything—scraped knees, sniffles, anxiety from listening to his parents yell at each other all night.

The little boy accepted the help without question or resentment and freely gave affection in return.  It felt safer to love Dean when he was like this.  But Sam and Dean needed him back in the future, and he’d interfered in Dean’s past enough.

“I want you to be a good boy,” Castiel murmured as he placed his fingers to Dean’s forehead.

The little boy frowned at that request.  Castiel ignored the sensation in his chest that the endearing expression stirred in him.  He reached out with his grace and found the artery with the weak spot.  It had functioned well enough for over thirty years, but then one day it hadn’t been a monster or a ghost or some apocalyptic doom the Winchesters had inadvertently unleashed that had snuffed out Dean’s life.  It had been an aneurysm.  What some might call an act of God—but he’d be damned if he’d let his lousy, no-good father take Dean from them with something as ridiculous as atherosclerosis.

He could have gone back in time one day to fix it.  Or maybe a month or a year.  He didn’t know why he’d been carried so far back.  He didn’t really understand why he’d undertaken the task to befriend the child before attempting to heal him.  He did know that he’d enjoyed seeing the Dean that existed before November 2, 1983.

“There,” Castiel said.  “Now your head is safe.  And I promise you it will always stay with you.  Literally speaking,” he amended.  “Mentally…I suppose there are moments when—”

“Ca~as!” Dean tugged on his hand.  “I want _you_ to stay.  Pwomise!”

“I promise I’ll see you again one day,” he said with confidence.

Dean shook his head.  “Mommy says angels watch over me.  You’re my angel.  You have to stay.  So I can watch over you too.”

Castiel raised his eyebrows in surprise.  “Why do you think you need to watch over me?”

Dean stepped closer and wrapped his small arms around Castiel as far as they would go.

“Because you look sad.”

Castiel didn’t know how to respond to the little boy.  He moved his arms to awkwardly hug him and pat his back.  He couldn’t deny he was sad, but weren’t you suppose to lie to people to make them feel better?  Sam had told him that.

“I promise I’ll always be with you,” Castiel said.

Dean pulled back and thrust his hand in Castiel’s face, pinky finger extended.

“Pinky swear!”

Castiel hooked his pinky finger with Dean’s.  The little boy smiled.

“I wanna play on the swings now.”

“Okay.  Don’t swing too high.”

Dean laughed and ran off, clearly intending to do just that.  Castiel watched the child as he allowed his grace to pull on the waves of time to send him back to where he belonged.

He tried not to think about how many times he had broken that promise.


End file.
